Breathe easy

Dr Amit Kr Mandal
The theme of World Asthma Day (May 5) 2009,is ‘You Can Control Your Asthma.’ This year,special focus will be on young children with asthma and communicating the message to parents,’Your Child’s Asthma Can Be Controlled.’ One in every 250 deaths worldwide is due to asthma. This year’s theme emphasizes that effective asthma treatments exist and,with proper diagnosis,education,and treatment,the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control,patients can live full and active lives. We must know that 90 per cent of these deaths are preventable if the patient is not delayed in seeking help and treatment strategies,due to lack of education and awareness about the disease.

The Global Burden of Asthma Report indicates that asthma control often falls short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good control of their disease. Yet,in many regions around the world,this goal is often not met. Various factors such as poor access to medical care,under-recognition by health professionals,lack of awareness among patients,and overlap of asthma symptoms with those of other diseases contribute to under-diagnosis of asthma. There are wide variations in clinical management of asthma in different parts of the world,and even when cost is not a barrier under-treatment may still occur. In many regions of the world,people with asthma may be exposed to conditions such as outdoor or indoor air pollution,cigarette smoke,or chemicals on the job that make their asthma worse. Avoiding risk factors that cause asthma symptoms is an important strategy for improving control.

The writer is Consultant,Department of Pulmonology & Critical Care,Fortis Hospital.